Letting Go
by DuckShadow12517
Summary: Ten years have passed since Cosmo was killed saving the world. Eggman has retired, Silver and Blaze are getting married, Knuckles has developed a soft spot for a certain jewel thief, Sonic and Amy's relationship...it's complicated. Tails is still torn up over the loss of his first love, Cream feels abandoned and Shadow is growing more distant and no one knows why. Full Sum Inside
1. Friends, Family, Fringe

_** Alright, another attempt at a StH fic... this one is going to slightly...darker I guess. Nothing too bad I promise. These ages are pretty important. I know I said ten years, but I just imagined that they'd age slower than people since they're Mobians. Yep, so R&r and give me some feedback...please? **_

_**R&r!**_

_**Full Summary: Ten years have passed since Cosmo was killed saving the world. Silver and Blaze are getting married, Knuckles has developed a soft spot for a certain jewel thief, Sonic and Amy's relationship...it's complicated. Tails is still torn up over the loss of his first love, Cream feels abandoned and Shadow is sinking deeper into depression over Maria.  
**_

_**On Mobius, a dangerous and mysterious foe has returned; set on destroying the gang once and for all and while a traitor walks in their mist, is this problem too big for even Sonic to solve?  
**_

_**Meanwhile, Shadow has set off on a journey of his own, to collect the Chaos Emeralds for his own mysterious purpose, but a certain stowaway may help him to see the value of living in the present and letting go of the past.  
**_

_**Rating: T for some violence and over-consumption of cake. **_

_**Pairings: Some Knouge, Silvaze, Tailsmo, Sonamy, possible Taiseam or Shadeam I'm not sure yet, Jave**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic, nor Amy, nor Knuckles, nor Tails, nor Rouge, nor- sorry I got carried away. **_

Ages:

Sonic: 21

Shadow: 18 (Technically he's like 68ish but, without the 50 year stasis)

Amy: 20

Silver: 22

Blaze: 21

Rouge: 23

Knuckles: 24

Tails: 18

Cream: 16

Other:

Jet: 21

Wave: 22

Storm: 35

A lot can happen in ten years. Ten years is more than enough for something important to take place.

For the Mobians, those ten years were a time of peace. Eggman was relatively quite; even the old doctor seemed to realize that he was growing older in years. His plots weren't very well thought out, and he seemed to have lost his enthusiasm in plotting.

His plans trickled from many times a year, to twice a year, to stopping altogether. It had been over a year since the last attack. There even had been rumors that he was working hard creating machines to help society, rather than harm it.

One huge rumor was that he and Sonic were on speaking terms. As in, the blue blur himself would stop in on his once rival and they'd chat. As in, have a normal conversation.

Rouge. The bat still worked for G.U.N. Still was one of their top agents. She still had her lust for jewels though, even aging slightly hadn't dampened that urge. Not that she looked any older. The vain bat still looked the same as she had at the beginning. Her selfishness wouldn't allow her looks to slip away.

She had taken to visiting her friend too. Knuckles the Echidna. She liked to spend most of her free time there. She claimed to be "staking" out the Master Emerald, but everyone knew that there was something going on between the two. The red guardian had developed quite a soft spot for the jewel thief.

Knuckles took his duties as guardian very seriously. He spent his free time weightlifting, jogging, and punching rocks. He did take some anger management classes and his temper was slightly curbed. Slightly.

His training was paying off; he managed to scare anyone interested in stealing his emerald far away. One look at his six pack and muscled back and most would flee instantly. A glance at his rock hard knuckles and fear of getting hit by that got rid of the rest.

The only one he couldn't scare away was Rouge. She liked visiting the "lonesome" creature, and he liked her visits. They still argued like cats and dogs, but there was a certain tenderness to it.

Sonic and Amy had a very confusing relationship. Sonic had stopped running from her but Amy had stopped chasing. She had enrolled in Chaos College and was studying to become a nurse. She still helped work with the gang, but since Egghead had stopped attacking, she was around way less.

There was so much tension between the two hedgehogs. Every time they were together you could just feel it. No one had any idea just what had happened, but something had. Sonic's mood had sunk ever since Amy left. He still was friendly, but it seemed much more forced.

Amy was sadder too. She was no longer the obsessed crazy fan-girl that she was all those years ago. It was depressing for their friends. The two talked and hung out and acted like best friends, but there was always some sort of tension that hung between the two like a thick cloud.

Amy had also enrolled herself in some self-defense classes. She claimed she wanted to be more of a warrior princess rather than the damsel in distress. This separated her and Sonic even more. She no longer needed him to save her.

Tails had never recovered from Cosmo's death. The young kitsune had only one joy in his life. His two children. They weren't technically his, but he loved them more than anything in the world. He was their adoptive father, even if he was only 17. Their mother was dead.

They were a very curious species of Mobians. The two, one boy and one girl, were twins. The boy's name was Sabre. He had dark brown eyes and short green hair. His sister's name was Chrysanthemum. She had bright green eyes and curly shoulder length bright pink hair. They called her Coz for short.

The twins were Seedrians, which might have been odd, if it weren't for a very special gift Cosmo had given Tails after she died. Her seed. The kitsune had planted it as soon as he got back to his workshop. He guarded it with a ferociousness no one had ever seen in him, except when he had fought Shadow for Cosmo's life.

The tree took three years to grow and finally blossom. In the flowers were two little Seedrian babies. Cosmo's children. Tails immediately adopted them and chose to raise them as his own. He had the help of all of Mobius though. The two kids were very sweet and anyone who met them loved them.

Coz was outgoing and happy. She liked to be outdoors and had begged Tails to build her a green house. He said yes, of course. She was also very smart. She loved to read books about anything. Sabre had more of a Knuckle's personality. He was friendly, but when poked, he could be deadly. He liked to be alone mostly, but also showed fascination in Tail's workshop. He liked to help his 'father' tinker with inventions.

Cream had grown up. A lot. She was still pretty small. Her voice had changed, no longer high pitched and painful; her voice had a nice bubbling tune to it. Cream had changed her simple orange dress to something more favorable. She wore ripped jean shorts and a stripped purple tank top with a brown jacket thrown over it.

Not that much had changed about Cream's personality. She was still very compassionate but, now, she had a sort of mature look around her. She had seen more deaths, lost more friends, and been betrayed more times than most people have had in a lifetime.

Cheese had died many years ago. Cream owned anther chao, a tan one she had named Sugar. It had a little brown bow. The rabbit had basically taken over her mother's bakery. Her mother was away on a honeymoon with her new husband, Vector. She went on a lot of those.

Finally, Shadow.

The ebony hedgehog hadn't changed much. In fact, he never would. Being immortal had its perks. He had reluctantly moved to Mobius instead of his former nomadic choices. He was still a G.U.N. Agent, but he was only called for very difficult missions; which were harder to find now that Robotnik had retired.

Shadow's house was away from everyone else's. His was on the edge of a forest, half hidden by the shadows the woods cast. It was a simple tree house-like structure, built in the trees and well protected. His only furnishings was a bed, table, mini fridge, couch, and nightstand. On the nightstand was his only photo of Maria.

The immortal creature walked slowly over and picked up the photo. It was so old that it was fading. Soon, it would fall apart and then he'd have only memories. Then, those would slowly fade and he'd be all alone. Again. The hedgehog was reluctant to make friends. They would all die one day and he'd just be alone. Again.

Shadow sighed and put the photo down. _If I could ever go back, Maria, I'd do everything different. I'd save you, no matter what the cost. _

_**Meh, just a huge introduction catching you up with the characters. Please R&r, it'd make me very happy. I hope you liked it, it's going to be in two alternating stories that will eventually intertwine.**_

_** And I have a question...Should I do ShadowxCream friendship or something more like romantic. It would work either way.**_


	2. Searching, Secrets, Schemes

**Ok, this is deeper introduction to the characters. This chapter might be a little slow, but I threw in a surprise to keep you interested. Please keep reviewing, they give me the inspiration to update!**

** Oh yeah, I uh...don't...uhh...o-own...ugh S-sonic the Hedgehog. **

** R&r!**

Finding her.

That had been the most important of Silver's life at the time. When she had vanished, he was certain his life had ended. The way her eyes sparkled and tail swished gracefully around her gorgeous body made his knees weak.

Years ago, Blaze the Cat had disappeared from his life. They were still just friends, but Silver had begun to develop a slight crush on the beautiful purple cat.

Everybody seemed eager to forget about her. The gang insisted she was gone and that dwelling in the past would only cause him more pain. He just had to move on. Seriously, Silver the Hedgehog was the only one of his friends who seemed to remember Blaze the Cat. He remembered everything about her. Her cold shoulder, her trust issues, her determination to find the Sol Emeralds.

It felt weird, seemingly being the only guy to remember her when she had played such an important part in their life.

It should've been Silver who had vanished, not her. She had insisted he do it but he was too much of a coward. She had sacrificed her life instead and sealed Chaos inside of her. By doing this though, she had vanished, resetting things back the way they were.

And now, Silver had been the only one who could save her. If only he was braver.

He used his powers of transporting to find her. It had taken nearly a year. He had been asking around, following so many false leads and dead ends that he was beginning to lose hope.

Now, he was following a lead an old bat had mused about.

_"A cat you say?" the wrinkled creature let a small smile flit across her face. "A purple cat?"_

_ Silver's heart soared. "Yes!"_

_ she ran a paw thoughtfully across her face. "I remember her. I work as an assistant to my mum." The old bat looked like she might've been a great-grandmother herself. "That cat came in begging for our help. She said she had a problem and wanted to know how to get rid of it."_

_ "Chaos." Silver murmured. He leaned forward eagerly. "Did you help her?"_

_ "Aye, aye, we got rid of that demon. We sealed it away somewhere where it won't hurt anyone again." The way her tone sounded sent a shiver down the hedgehog's back. _

_ "What happened?" Silver demanded, almost giddy with excitement. This bat was confirming that Blaze was closer than he ever felt before. _

_ "Ah, first you must tell me the reason why you search for this girl? What is she too you?"_

_ Who was Blaze to Silver? She was his closest friend, the only one who had truly believed in him. The girl who made the breath catch in his throat whenever he thought about her. The girl he had spent a year searching for. _

_ "A frien-I love her." The words sprang out of Silver before he could catch them. His face flamed up instantly. _

_ The bat cracked a wide, toothless smile. "Ah, the brave knight searching for his princess?" Silver's face turned an even deeper red. The woman leaned forward. "I knew your reason for searching, I was just seeing if your were brave enough to admit it." She smiled again, looking extremely pleased. _

_ "You have passed your test." The bat bowed and closed her eyes. "I helped the cat one month ago. I thought she'd be OK, but whatever we tried to do, it did something to her." The gray eyes grew distant and disturbed. _

_ "Her mind was shattered and she fled that night. She was mumbling something about a forest, I believe? She handed me a note and mentioned that it was important."_

_ "What did it say?" Silver practically screamed, just imagining his beloved out there, lost and confused._

_ "I don't know, I never read it. It wasn't meant for me." The creature pulled out a slightly wrinkled plain white envelope. "I believe you were meant to read it." with trembling hands, the bat placed the note in Silver's paw and took a few steps back._

_ Silver bowed. "Thank you. I cannot thank you enough." The woman winked and vanished into the night. _

_ The silver hedgehog could barely contain his excitement as he ripped open the card, expecting a note or something from...her. _

_ Instead, it was coordinates. And a date. Blaze had known he would come. She had written to him where she would be. But it had been a month...was she still there?_

_ He had to try._

_ Silver held up his chaos emerald and shouted the words out loud, locking the coordinates in his mind. _

_ "CHAOS CONTROL!"_

When he finally saw the purple cat, weak and barely alive, his heart had soared! Somehow she had destroyed Chaos when she was transported and the monster was gone forever.

Silver took the cat back. He couldn't just leave her. The problem was, her memory was gone, not just gone though, her mind was shattered.

She had fragmented memories, a slight deja vu that she knew these Mobians. Seeing her helped jog his friends memories, but she still was lost. Silver brought her back. He told her all he knew about her, and their adventures. Then, when he was getting to the part of her disappearance, she spoke a coherent sentence for the first time.

"You're so naïve, Silver, I've always liked that about you." Silver never knew he could've felt such love for someone.

Blaze did remember. Eventually, her whole memory was returned and she might've even been a little more...friendly. She wasn't as suspicious as before.

And now, so many years later, was it 15? Silver was prepared to do the unthinkable. He was going to propose to Blaze.

He had it all planned out; a nice little dinner at her favorite restaurant, a walk on the beach after, followed by him proposing on top of the sand dunes. He had even gone ahead and set up a lattice covered in flowers. It was going to be...unforgettable.

Silver picked up the ring from where it lay nestled in his pocket. It was a beautiful diamond and silver. He held it up to the light, admiring the way it sparkled.

The sound of approaching footsteps made him hastily shove the jewelry back in his pocket and whirl around quickly. His beautiful girlfriend was approaching with a small smile on her face.

"Hey!" Silver and Blaze embraced and the cat gave Silver a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hey, Silver, whatcha want to do today?"

Silver leaned down and smirked at her. "We are going out to dinner tonight. K'? But until then, it's up to you. It's YOUR day."

A small blush crept up Blaze's face. "Aw, Romeo, alright. Then I choose to hang out and watch movies."

Silver kissed her gently on the lips. "Anything for milady." He jumped out of the way as Blaze playfully batted at him with a huge blush on her face. The two held hands as they went to pick out a movie.

~.~.~.~

"Tails!" Cream was yelling into the workshop. The building looked pretty dark, but Cream knew the kitsune liked to get up early and work to clear his mind. "Tails." She called again, softer this time. She peered worriedly into the room.

A light off to the side caught her eye. Tails was working in his office! The young rabbit padded quickly over towards the light, clutching her basket to her chest.

"Tails I-" Cream paused when she saw that Sabre, not Tails, was busily working on something little.

Her smile faded slightly but returned. Tails wasn't here, but she liked Sabre. The little seedrian was very cute and polite.

"Hey, Cream." Sabre barely glanced over at the rabbit. "Tails is out right now, I think he was picking up some stuff."

"Oh alright. Mind if I hang around until he comes back?" She smiled at the kid. Sabre nodded, not looking up from his tinkering.

"Whatcha working on?" Cream craned her neck to catch a look at the object.

Sabre smiled and held it up. It looked like a loose outline of some animal, made entirely of metal. "It's our birthday tomorrow. I'm trying to finish this for Coz." He turned it over in his hands. "It's a mechanical horse. It's supposed to move just like a horse and it makes all the horse noises, but it looks so ugly! I'm afraid she'll hate it." The young seedrian looked ready to cry staring in frustration at the toy.

Cream looked it over quickly. "It just needs fur."

"Huh?"

The rabbit chuckled at his look. "I have a ton of stuff at my house. I can cover it with fur to look really nice."

Sabre perked up. "Really?" Then his face sunk slightly. "But I wanted to make it for her. I wanted it to be special."

"Alright, I'll show you how to sew it. And if I help you, you don't even have to tell your sister." She winked. "It'll be our little secret."

Sabre smiled. "Alright."

"I'll run home and grab my stuff really quick."

"Alright."

~.~.~

Five to ten minutes later...

"Yep, just press down gently on the peddle right there." Cream instructed. Sabre's lines were slightly crooked, but he seemed to pick it up quickly. About twenty minutes later, he was finished. It looked nice, the horse was no longer a scary mechanical creature, now it was a velvety soft furred horse.

Cream had some black beads that worked perfectly as eyes and some long yarn that was the mane and tail. When it was finished, it looked very pretty. Cream wove some ribbons in it's mane and tail and even helped to create a saddle. A small rein completed it.

Sabre held it up to the light. "It's perfect!" He exclaimed. They had been working on covering the horse for about an hour. Right on time, there was a knock on the office door.

Tails poked his head in. He smiled at Cream and Sabre working. "Hey kiddo, what are you too up too?"

He winked at Cream, who turned away to smile. Sabre jumped up and held up his horse. "Cream was helping me make this for Coz tomorrow." He pressed a button and the robot ran across the desk, stopping just before the edge and trotting to turn around.

It let out a neigh and shook its head.

"Wow, Sab, that's awesome. I couldn't have done better." He ruffled his hair and walked over to Cream. "Could you leave us alone for a second? I need to ask Cream about something. Why don't you go and wrap that present? There's boxes in the cupboard." Sabre scampered off eagerly, clutching the toy to his chest.

Tails turned back to the rabbit. "Did you bring what I asked you?" He asked, checking to make sure they were alone.

Cream let out a laugh. "Yeah, I specially made it." She held up her basket, letting Tails see the intricately decorated cake inside. It was chocolate, of course, with chocolate chips, and a very tasty frosting. In loopy white writing, there were the words, _Happy Birthday Coz and Sabre!_

"It's perfect!" The fox had a huge smile on his face. "I don't know how you do it, Cream."

The rabbit's smile faded. "I have lots of time on my hand." She shrugged. Her family was a sore subject, everyone knew that. Her mom and Vector had gotten married six years ago. Vanilla and the detective were off on vacations and trips.

They always left Cream to take care of the bakery by herself. She had learned how to take care of herself by the age of ten. It wasn't like they were mean to her, Cream just felt like she had no one. She was a very social rabbit, but she was left alone most of her time.

At the Chaoix, Espio had all but taken over the agency. Vector was never there, so he and Charmy took care of everything. They were efficient, but it was obvious they were a man down.

_Their not just affecting me with their various 'vacations' they're leaving everyone behind. _

Tails noticed the mood shift and pulled the rabbit in for a hug. "Hey, it'll be alright." He murmured, stroking her hair gently. Cream buried her face in his fur, enjoying the comforting tone of her friend. Normally, Cream would've cried, but she had grown out of such childish things.

She had to stop crying. She was sixteen now, mature and couldn't cry over every little thing. The tingling in her eyes made her turn away angrily. She was being a baby for wanting to cry over being 'left alone.'

Tails pulled her away, holding her out at arms length. "Everything will be alright Cream."

~.~.~.~

Moonlight flooded in the clearing. It was directly in the middle of the woods. It seemed to stick out from the rest of the land. The woodscape was dark and forebearing, full of shadowy creatures and whispers of unseen foes.

Most people didn't dare go in the woods at night. Most didn't go in the woods period. The fear of the shadows, hidden creatures in every shadow, sent a deep fear down most. The thick tangle of woods were clumped so closely together that it was cast in a permanent shadow.

The clearing, though, was bright and friendly. It was cast in a beautiful silvery light from the moon, glittering almost invitingly. Every grass blade, every showing leave, was etched in detailed, intricate, glitter.

A solitary rabbit hopped slowly into the clearing, nibbling on the grass. It paused, catching a rustle off to the left. It barely glanced over, unconcerned at the moment.

Suddenly, a breeze picked up. It was very subtle at first, just a light trickle, but then it began to grow. It fluttered around, gaining speed as it swirled around in a windy tornado. Leaves and other loose debris were picked up in the wind, joining the wind in it's typoon around the clearing. From the center of the tornado, a light shine.

like the wind, it started out as a small spot, slowly growing stronger. The light's intensity grew, reflecting off the silver, turning the clearing into a blinding light.

The light grew brighter and brighter, growing bigger and bigger. A form appeared in the center of the glowing ball, spinning in time with the wind tornado.

The form began to take a more definite shape, the light growing dimmer the more solid the shape became. The tornado shrunk, growing smaller and smaller until it gently set its cargo on the ground. It lay there for a moment until the tornado was gone entirely.

One more light pulsed out, brighter and bigger than the light before it. It scattered across the land, visible for miles.

The figure on the ground slowly picked itself up. It carefully surrved its surrounding, checking to make sure it was unseen. After checking it was alive and working, it took a few steps unsteadily forward.

"You are late." The voice that reached it was so chilling and cold but it had no affect on the creature.

"I'm here. That's all that matters." The figure barely glanced at the other creature half hidden by the shadowy woods.

"No. All that matters is destroying the Sonic gang. Once and for all."

A deep chuckle came from the creature in the clearing. "I like the way you think."

The two figures vanished into the woods, leaving the clearing alone and dark. Again.

**Um, yeah, next chapter is proposal, birthday party, more character intro, and a drama filled ending! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it really made my day! Yeah, sorry it's slow, but I have to introduce all the character, but chapter 4 or 5 will start the real excitement!**

** Once again, please vote for your choice, ShadowxCream romance or friendship? **

** R&r!**


	3. Parties, Planning, Private Meetings

**Finally updated! Thanks so much for all the feedback, I really appreciate you guys taking the time to review, it really encourages me to update quicker! This chapter shows Sonic-Amy relationship and some compassionate Cream. Next chapter will be full of excitement and drama! What's a story without drama? **

**R&r!**

Knuckles did a turn around in his mirror one more time. He peered closely at a speck in his fur and casually brushed it off. The echidna decided on dark ripped jeans, a white muscle shirt covered by his awesome leather jacket.

Knuckles huffed, brushed some more lint off of his jacket and did another turn around. He smirked at his reflection and pushed his dark shades over his eyes. He frowned, did another twirl and paused again.

The red creature sighed and brushed another piece of hair off his pants. He pushed his shades back up on his head, shook his head, and pushed them back over his eyes. Knuckles sighed again.

Knuckles jumped as a shrill ring sounded through his house. It was loud enough for his heartbeat to give a small jump. Who in the world was calling him at 9 o'clock this morning?

He walked over to his phone on the nightstand, checking the caller ID before answering.

"Hello, Rouge." He busied himself with brushing himself off again. He pushed his sunglasses firmly up over his nose.

"Hey Knuckie, how've you been?" The bat's voice was low and flirtatious. She obviously wanted something and knowing her, it'd only be a little bit longer before he found out her reason for calling. It never was 'just because.'

"Fine." He sighed at the silence on the other end. "I'm doing just fine."

"That's great!" Her flirty voice was oozing honey. "Are you busy later?"

There it was. The echidna braced himself for her favor.

"Well, I'm going to the party."

"Oh great! And...I have to ask you a question?"

"What."

"Don't sound so thrilled, honey!" Rouge purred cheerfully on the other end. "I'm not going to steal your precious Emerald or anything."

Knuckles snorted, trying to stay calm. He was actually pretty sensitive when it came to his emerald. He had been entrusted to guard it; a duty he took very seriously and guarded it fiercely. He hated when people mocked him for his lifestyle choice.

Rouge sighed. "I'm sorry. I know you don't like it when I smack talk the 'Master'." Rouge learned long ago of his deep seriousness for his duties. She felt bad for poking at his one weak spot. But, there was only one person who would ever hear her apologize.

Knuckles was the only person who Rouge was humble enough to apologize too. He was her most valuable friend and she didn't like hurting him. No one else would ever hear her stoop that low. Ugh.

"It's alright." He said gruffly.

"Anyways, I was just wondering if you could give me a ride to the party." She held her breath.

Knuckles snorted. "Me? Seriously? Can't you fly?" when in reality, his heart jumped a beat when he heard that. He would travel to the end of the world for her. Not that she needed to know that.

Rouge leaned close until their faces were inches apart. "Yes, but it'll ruin my new outfit. And..." she paused before rolling her eyes, "you have such a NICE car."

Knuckles couldn't help but swell a little. While his life on the island was lonesome, he did manage to save up enough money to go out and buy himself a car. It was a cherry red mustang GT with black flames on the side.

And since it was pointless to have it here, Knuckles had his baby parked in one of Tails' extra garages, within walking distance from the dock that led to his island.

It was his pride and joy.

Hearing Rouge compliment it made the echidna's chest puff out.

The Knuckles let out a growl. "I suppose so." He looked around, "Do you want me to pick you up?"

Rouge tutted mockingly. "Of course. I can't just fly over to your place." She said it tauntingly, almost like she would scold a child. Knuckles face grew red.

"Well sorry." He muttered. "Alright, I'll see you in one hour."

"Excuse me?" Rouge choked out. "One hour? Are you serious?"

"Uh?"

"I'm a lady. I can't get ready in one hour. Do you think I'm magical or something? I'll need at least an hour and a half. Not one minute less."

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" He shouted into the receiver. "Girls are crazy!" he muttered mostly to himself.

"I'll see you at 10:30." Rouge laughed sweetly. "Bye Knuckie."

"Bye. Love you." She hung up. Knuckles let out a curse when he realized what he just said. "Love you? Did I really just say that?" He felt his face growing a deeper and deeper red. "I must've hung up before she heard that." He rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe."

~!0i0~

True to his word, at almost exactly 10:30, Knuckles was waiting patiently outside Rouge's house. He checked his watch one last time and watched as a familiar bat walked out of her home. It was a huge mansion. Just as big as her ego. Actually, that might just win out.

Rouge slid into the car, crossing her arms and huffing. Knuckles cracked his hands and began to pull away. He looked over at the pouty bat.

"What's wrong?" He tried to make his voice sound concerned. "Are you upset or something?"

"Three things. Knuck. One. You didn't come to my door and pick me up. The man always picks up his lady. Two. You didn't hold the door open for me. The man always opens the door for the lady. Third. You didn't compliment me on my outfit. I spent awhile on this thing. So yes, I am slightly, 'upset.'"

Knuckles grinned. "What else is new?"

~0o0~

After a lot of bickering, they did finally manage to make it to the party in one piece. Rouge still had her arms crossed, but she felt a little better.

When they got out of the car, Knuckles rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, Rouge."

The white bat turned over to look at her friend. "Yeah?"

"You look nice."

"I know."

She had worn a white, black, and pink sweater, tight black pants and her traditional white and pink boots.

~0O0~

Cream danced around the room, trying desperately to make sure it was perfect. The party started at 11:00 and it was 10:50. She had arrived early to help Tails set everything up. She had hung up green and pink streamers all over the house, along with multicolored balloons.

The cake was safely in the freezer and Cream and Tails had spent the whole morning cooking chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers. There were other appetizers too.

"It's perfect." Tails breathed, looking around proudly. "Thanks so much, Cream." His close proximity was slightly nerve racking, but Cream brushed off her sweaty palms and turned around.

"Anything for you."

~0o0~

"Happy birthday!" The two children squealed happily when they saw all their friends standing around. Even Eggman had showed up. The fat professor looked uncomfortable, but he was there. He awkwardly held a bag of confetti.

"Thanks, dad!" Coz threw herself into his arms. Tails grinned and ruffled her hair good-naturedly.

"What's on the agenda first, Cream?" Tails turned to the rabbit, his party planner.

Cream blew a tuft of her fur off her head and looked around. "Food first, of course. Then, presents, and cake!"

Everyone cheered and headed into the kitchen. As the birthday kids they got to eat first. They piled their plate high and scurried off into the kids room. Since they were the only two kids, they were allowed to each their by themselves.

Though it was private, the kids needed that. They had important matters to discuss.

"I know what we need to do Sabre!" Coz whispered to her brother. Sabre looked up from eating his chicken.

"Huh?" the seedrian mumbled around his mouthful.

"Dad is always sad." She stated. Sabre rolled his eyes.

"Duh, it's cuz mom isn't here."

It was an unspoken rule in the household. Whenever Tails got that distant, far-away look, the kids knew she was thinking about their mother. They would try and stay away from him to give him some times to think. It didn't happen often, but when it did, Tails would become increasingly sad.

Right now, since the beginning of the year, it had happened twice. It usually lasted a few hours and then he was fine.

Sabre looked alert now. They were just seven years old, and very smart. It was due to the fact that they were Mobians, who's brains developed faster. They had seven year old bodies, with about 12-13 year old brains.

"Who do'ya have in mind?"

"We need'ta find him a girlfriend." She giggled slightly on that word.

"A girlfriend?" Sabre thought it over carefully. It might make Tails happier. His father deserved to be happier. He was such a great dad. He never actually told them exactly why their mother died, he just know she died and he was heartbroken.

"Who do'ya have in mind?" He asked his sister. His mind was whirling, thoughts scattered and brain thinking hard. He had a person. The one person who his father was totally comfortable being around and who WAS around all the time.

"Cream, silly." Coz laughed, like it was the easiest thing in the world. "He already loves her."

Sabre thought it over slowly. "Yes..." He began, he was struggling to find the words, "But, it might'not be like. He might just like her as a friend." It made sense to him. Tails and Cream were friends. Nothing more. It might just work, though.

"We'll just need't change it." Coz's eyes gleamed with the challenge. "Are ya in?"

Sabre smiled and put his hand out. The twins did their secret handshake, two fist bumps and a windmill high five. "Yes!"

Sonic peeked his head in. "What are you two scheming about?" His eyes glittered with amusement.

"Nothing." the twins echoed. They looked at each other and burst out laughing. Another hedgehog appeared at the doorway. Amy.

Sonic's gaze changed into an unrecognizable emotion. "Hey, Ames."

"Hey, Sonic." Amy gave him a small smile. A silent looked passed between them and just as soon as it appeared, it was gone.

"I'm just here to check on you guys." The pink hedgehog smiled at the two. "You guys need anything?"

The two seedrians shook their heads vigorously. Amy laughed, as if to relieve the tension. Sonic looked more relaxed now. He gave the two kids a thumbs up.

"Alright, we'll head back to the adult table. If you need anything, just holler. And, don't forget, Pinata is after lunch!" He turned to face Amy. Another meaningful look. He smirked and lunged forward, scooping her up, fireman style.

"Sonic!" Amy shrieked with a giggle at the end. She beat her hands against his back and kicked her legs. "Let me go!"

Sonic winked at the kids and left the room, still tugging his friend on his back. Amy wiggled but couldn't escape Sonic's grip.

Sonic carried her into the other room, still screaming. Everyone looked up at the two. Everyone else was in the living room, eating and laughing. Espio, Charmy, Silver, Blaze, Rouge, Knuckles, Tails, Eggman, Shadow, Cream.

Sonic laughed and gently set her on her feet. Amy smacked him on the shoulder and danced away. She scurried back over towards her seat, which happened to be right next to Sonic also.

As her breathing evened, she felt her smile slip away and she focused on eating.

Right next to her, Sonic too stared at his meal, his easy-going laughter gone, a very serious expression on his face. A sort of awkward air settled around those two.

Cream saw the whole exchange, a puzzled expression on her face.

_Something happened between those two. I have to get to the bottom of this. _

She cared deeply for both her friends and both their faces were so heart-wrenching that she just HAD to find out what happened. Why were they so sad?

But how in the world could she do that? Maybe her other friends knew something. It couldn't hurt to try them first. Everyone was busily eating and having a fun time. Cream didn't want to bother anyone right now.

Then, Shadow abruptly stood up and picked up his plates. He headed into the kitchen, a clear intent that he wanted to be left alone. Dr. Robotnik also stood up and gathered his plates. He had a sort of intention to the way he moved. Like he was on a mission and didn't want to be spotted.

He glanced around and hurried into the kitchen also. _What are those two up too? _

No one else seemed too concerned about the two. Silver and Blaze were busy kissing; not in a gross way, like a sweet, slow way. Actually, maybe it was gross. Rouge and Knuckles were arguing about something, but they both were laughing and shooting each other glances. Sonic and Amy were chatting about...stuff.

Cream picked up her plates and headed into the hallway. There was a trash can there too. She threw away her stuff and inched along the wall. There was a door leading from the kitchen to the hallway, so she could listen in.

"I'm listening." The deep, humorless voice could only be Shadow. There was slight chuckle that followed. Eggman.

"Ok, well, in those books, the Emeralds do have another purpose. They have the power of the universe. It told of a story about a time-traveler."

"Where do I come in?" sounding annoyed.

"Well, if I found this a few years ago, I would've tried to use this to take over the world. But now, I've turned over a new leaf. I want to help others." Eggman's voice was genuine, so full of truth.

Cream almost slipped at that moment. She caught herself and held her breath, praying she hadn't been heard. The discussion continued, much to her relief.

"The Emeralds have the power to time travel, Shadow." Robotnik continued. "To the future...or the past."

There was a sharp intake of breath. Cream had no idea what they were talking about, but whatever Eggman had just said meant a lot to Shadow. The ebony hedgehog sounded almost eager now.

"What do I have to do?"

"Well, you're going to need all seven of the Chaos Emeralds. Then, once you gather them, you will have the power to travel through time. You must bring them back here first. You'll need an anchor point for when you return."

"Anchor point?"

"A powerful source that can keep the time window open for as long as you need."

"Which would be?"

Eggman chuckled, "So eager, the perfect anchor point would be the Master Emerald."

Their voices grew muffled as they left the room, heading somewhere else. Probably outside. Cream couldn't hear them anymore, but it didn't matter. She had heard enough.

Cream leaned back, soaking in all the information. Shadow wanted to travel to the past for some reason, and he needed all the Chaos Emeralds to achieve this. Whatever it was, it had to be important. The power to travel to the past...wow.

Suddenly, a new thought reached Cream. The past...the past. She wouldn't even have to snoop. She could just visit the day that Sonic and Amy's relationship changed. She could help them! She wanted them to so desperately be happy. They didn't deserve anymore pain. They needed to smooth over whatever had happened between them.

If she knew what had happened, then she could help them get over it! Cream needed to talk to Shadow.

**Oo, What's going on between Sonic and Amy? Why does Shadow want to go the the past? Will Coz and Sabre succeed? Find out in the next installment!**

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	4. Dinner, Dances, Dates

**Thank you for all the reviewers! I love you guys! (Non creepy). I hope you like this story, it's kind of like a mystery, romance, suspense, and drama all rolled into one. I'm trying to keep most of the roles a secret until later, and I hope I'm not progressing the story too fast. Is any of the couples too overbearing? Too much fluff? Not enough? Want more of other couples? Shoot me a review and let me know!**

**thanks to _cabbagethekitiran_ for making me laugh with your review. You. Are. Awesome!**

**R&r!**

"Thank you so much for coming!" Tails, with Coz perched on his shoulders, held open the door, smiling warmly at everyone as they filed out.

Sabre was standing beside his family, giving everyone a hug as they walked by. He clutched his new tool, courtesy of Tails, to his chest. It was a many in one, with a wrench, screwdriver, and other useful tools. Tails had custom made it for his little tinkerer.

Silver was holding hands with Blaze as they made their way outside. Smiles were all around as everyone left the super fun party. Everyone had a good time and the kids claimed they had the best birthday ever.

Silver ruffled Sabre's hair fondly, "Make sure you take good care of your sister, ay sport?"

Sabre smiled and nodded.

Blaze laughed and tugged her boyfriend along. "Alright, they're probably bursting with excitement to play with their stuff." She winked at the kids, "We'll leave you guys." The two laughed as they sprinted towards their car.

Sonic shook his head and laughed. "Those two still act like kiddies." He chuckled and bent his arms, ready to take off.

"Sonic!" Amy came sprinting around the corner into the room. She stopped, taking a few deep breaths. "Can I get a lift home?"

Something passed between them, a look so quick it was gone in a moment, slipping away before anyone could properly see it. If it were there at all.

Sonic nodded, an easy smile slipping on his lips. "Sure, Ames." He scooped her up bridal style, her easily slipping into his arms. They looked so comfortable in that position, like they were meant to be together.

Sonic was gone, a blue blur following in his wake.

Cream shook her head, walking up besides Tails. "I don't understand it." She murmured softly to him. Tails flicked his ears in her direction.

"We may never know." He caught a determined glint in her eye. "A penny for your thoughts?" He tilted his head at her.

Cream laughed and ducked her head, "I've just been thinking." She stayed put next to his side, because she would be staying to help clean up. Cream stayed around a lot, since the kids didn't really have a mother in their life and Tails wasn't really that in touch with his 'feminine side,' he needed help cleaning up and keeping the house tidy.

"About wh-" Tails was cut off from any further questioning as Rouge and Knuckles came over to say their goodbyes.

"And I told you it wouldn't work!" Knuckles eyes were narrowed and he was gesturing wildly at Rouge, who was watching with an amused smirk, obviously egging him on. She smiled and shook her head.

"I think it would." She pouted.

"And I-" Knuckles frowned, "Stop that." He crossed his arms.

"Stop what?" Rouge teased.

"I know you are just trying to get me angry." Knuckles stated smugly.

"So what? I think you're cute when you're angry." Rouge hugged him and skipped out the door. Knuckles stood there for a moment, growing as red as his fur, whether from rage or embarrassment, he would never admit.

"Thanks for the party." Knuckles muttered as he hurried past the fox and rabbit.

Cream burst out laughing as soon as the bat and echidna were out of earshot. Tails couldn't help but let out a chuckle too. Sabre scowled, looking between the two older animals.

"What's so funny?" He demanded in the most kid-like manner. Coz giggled at her brother. Since the young Seedrian was, in fact, a girl, she understood romance a little better than her brother.

Tails smiled fondly at his adopted son. "It's just the fact that Rouge and Knuckles are really happy together." His eyes grew distant for a moment, his mind traveling very far away.

Cream noticed his mood shift and walked over, rubbing his back until he could focus again. It looked like all the guests had left, with Eggman leaving early to go grocery shopping or something. He was an odd little man.

"Well, that was fun." He began, about to shut the door.

"Wait!" A smooth voice called, hurrying over. Shadow appeared from the other room, dusting his jacket off. The dark hedgehog shrugged sheepishly, "I forgot where I stored my jacket." He shrugged it on casually. "Thank you for the party." With a nod, he headed out the door.

Cream was watching the hedgehog with a look of deep thought. Tails frowned slightly, wondering what was going through her mind. The rabbit shook her head and turned back into the house. "Let's get started on the cleanup, shall we?"

The fox set Coz down and went into the kitchen, where the two friends spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up.

~0o0~

"Deep breaths." Silver smoothed his shirt down once more, checking himself in the mirror once more. Silver was driving his car. Normally, he and Blaze would walk to wherever they wanted to go, but tonight was special.

Silver held up the ring to the light, admiring the way it glimmered in the mirror. The hedgehog smiled, popped in a piece of gum and headed out towards his girlfriend's house.

Blaze answered, looking so beautiful his breath caught in his throat. She wore a short glittery silver dress that winked and caught in the moonlight.

Silver smiled widely and took her hand. "How did I get so lucky?" Blaze looked down with a small smile.

"I should be asking the same thing."

The two young couple held hands as they made their way to Silver's car. The white hedgehog helped his lady in the car.

The dinner went great. Silver had tipped the band to play several of Blaze's favorite songs and the cat was seemingly unaware. Hand and hand, the two headed down to the beach for a midnight walk. Silver nervously played with the velvet box in his hands, hoping the Blaze didn't notice his fidgeting.

"I had a great time tonight," Blaze smiled widely at her boyfriend. _Man, I wonder why Silver is so nervous? Could he possibly...no? _

Blaze enjoyed the feeling of the cool night breeze and the gentle sound of the swishing ocean. The stars glittered and the sand felt nice and chilly between her toes. It really was a perfect night for a walk.

"Blaze I-" Silver broke off and smiled sheepishly. "What's that over there?" Blaze followed the hedgehog's gaze to a faint glow over the upcoming sand dune. Blaze tilted her head, wondering what was going on.

Silver tightened his grip on the cat's paw, and took off running. Blaze followed eagerly, giggling as Silver tugged her along. He allowed her to stop long enough to remove her sandals and off they sprinted again.

As they rounded the hill top, the normally expressionless cat found herself choking back a lump in her throat. There was a small awning in the center of the sand, covered with small lights and small lavender roses decorated the sand around it.

Silver led her to the scene and crouched down on one knee. He took a shaky breath and drew out a small black box. He smiled nervously at the cat. "Blaze." He began. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Blaze, I have known you for over ten years and I have enjoyed every moment I've ever spent with you." Silver grew stronger and more confident with each word, he held his true love's eye the whole time, "I've thought about this a lot, and I've realized there's no one I would rather spend my life with. Blaze, I love you." Silver held out the ring he had spent hours picking it out, he smiled at the way Blaze was struggling not to cry.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Blaze threw her arms around Silver and kissed him passionately. She stopped long enough for the flustered hedgehog to slip the ring on her finger, and she hugged him tightly.

They could have stayed that way forever, just holding each other, but unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. At that moment, there was a burst of thunder from the sky, and a torrent of rain began to pour down.

The couple broke away, both one happy and one sad. Blaze closed her eyes and enjoyed the rain. Silver frowned for a moment, looking stricken. "I...I tried to get everything right! I just wanted this day to go perfect."

Blaze patted his cheek. "I wouldn't want this any other way."

Silver looked relieved, "Want to go home now?"

"Sure!" The two raced back towards Silver's car, laughing at the way the evening turned out.

~0o0~

The faint purple glow lit the small cavern-like room. The source of the glow, a small violet gem, sat exactly in the middle, letting out a faint pulse every so often. It was attached to an odd sort of contraption, a metal box.

The metal box had several dials, but the main focus was the two wires stretching outwards a shadowy figure in the corner of the room. A faint glowing light also emanated from the figure, starting at the box and lighting up the entire body.

The other figure in the room stood by the box, running numbers and monitoring controls. Its fingers flew across a keyboard and tapped away with an inhuman speed and perfection. Finally, a louder screech sounded from the box.

"It's ready."

"Initiate?" The glowing figure raised an eyebrow, looking bored.

"Test run one." The box mechanic didn't pause its mad tapping. It also had a bored look, "Remember, this is only to observe. We won't begin until we have enough data."

The subject rolled its eyes. "I do realize this. Just get it ready." It clenched and unclenched its fists, looking eager.

The mechanic flicked its gaze to the another screen. "Levels carefully monitored, regulators level, heat sensors go."It opened a box next to it, and pulled out a few tufts of hair. It dropped the hairs into an open slot into the machine.

It turned a knob and flipped a switch. "Ready for test run in five, four, three, two, one." It pressed the center button and its lips curved into a cruel smile as the screech faded into a hum.

The purple light glowed blue, and the wire began to turn to. The spark traveled down the length and into the subject's body.

With a faint pop, the subject felt the jolt, and a numbing sensation stretched from its head to its toes. With a soft sigh, the creature's thoughts faded, and slipped into unconsciousness. The head slumped forward, and a gentle snore came from the subject's body.

The mechanic kept its eyes on the readings, a faint smirk curving in its lips. It continued to tap away, happy the experiment was going along just smoothly.

They would get their revenge soon. The day was creeping closer when it would come. And it would be enough to destroy everything. And in the end, nothing would get out alive.

**OoO, mystery! Any guesses on who the two figures are? I'm trying to keep gender/character a secret, so you will be blind sided by the reveal! Haha, I wonder what the machine does. Find out the next chapter!**

**R&r!**


	5. Friends, Feelings, Freak-Outs

**Sorry for the late update! I've been a little busy, but I've actually outlined the next few chapters, so it should go a lot more smoothly. This one, the main focus is on Shadow and Cream because I need to get them off on their little adventure for the real drama to start! So, thanks for all the reviews. You guys are amazing. I'll stop boring you now. **

**R&r!**

Cream tugged her jacket tighter and headed towards Shadow's house. She had stayed over Tail's house all day and now since she had nothing to do for the rest of the evening, she decided to pay him a visit. She had to talk to him anyway.

The weather had gotten worse and it was actually starting to rain. Not the light, gentle, warm, summer rain, but the harsh, pounding, slap-you-in-the-face kind. Ouch.

The ebony hedgehog opened on the first knock, he probably saw her coming up the drive. Or his really sensitive ears heard her. He was odd like that.

"Cream?" Nobody every visited him, except Rouge on occasion, or even Eggman. And, given the hour, he wasn't expecting anyone, at all. Then again, when Rouge showed up, it was usually to complain about Knuckles.

"Hey, Shadow." The rabbit looked a little nervous, but she obviously had something on her mind. "I was in the neighborhood, and I just thought, 'hey, why not visit Shadow!'"

Shadow raised on eyebrow at her odd behavior but stepped aside. "Uh, OK. Do you want to come in? You look cold."

Cream nodded gratefully and walked into the hall, trying to keep the rain on her clothes from soaking his floor. The place was sparsely decorated, with almost nothing on the wall and the bare minimum furniture. The floors were all wooden and hard. The room made Cream feel sad.

"Thanks. I, uh, actually really wanted to talk to you today, but you left before I could get the chance."

Shadow was already heading towards the kitchen, the rabbit instantly following him. He pulled out a chair for her to sit, and walked towards the cupboard. "Tea?"

"Yes, please."

"So," Shadow began, pulling out a tea pot and the bags. "You wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yeah, I, uh," Suddenly, Cream felt really awkward. She really didn't even know how to get the conversation started. "You see, I- How did you like the party?" Cream eventually just blurted out.

The ebony hedgehog was pouring water into the pot when he stopped and stared at her again. His eyebrows crinkled together.

Cream couldn't help but blush at her failed attempt to talk. Usually, she was very good at talking to people, but the dark hedgehog's brooding attitude was very intimidating.

"It was enjoyable." Thankfully, Shadow humored her.

"Oh, yeah." Maybe she could lead into the question. "So, you seemed sad today." Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say.

Shadow took the tea over to the oven and set it on to heat it up. "Did I?"

"Yeah." The gentle, caring nature of the rabbit was coming out now. "I don't know, is something bothering you?"

"No." Shadow turned away, not meeting her eyes. Evasive. Cream wanted to press further, but she didn't want to anger him.

"Sorry." She shifted in her seat and tried again. "So, what do you think of Rouge and Knuckles' relationship? Think it'll last?"

Shadow fixed her with a stare. "I don't concern myself with relationships."

"Oh, um, OK." Shadow watched the rabbit's face growing redder as she searched for something to say. She looked pretty uncomfortable, and he felt bad. He was being a horrible conversation companion.

"I saw you." Cream suddenly blurted out. Shadow gave her another odd look.

"Huh?" What was she talking about?

"I didn't mean to, but I overheard you and Eggman talking. About the Emeralds and the time travel, and then I had this idea, because they always look so awkward and I just thought that if I knew why then-"

"Cream, who are you talking about?" Right now, she was talking gibberish to him.

"Oh, sorry." Cream laughed and tried again. "Sonic and Amy. I just wanted to know what happened to them."

"Well, you came to the wrong place. I don't know what's going on between them."

"No, I know that. I mean, I heard you and Eggman talking about time traveling, and I just thought, maybe...I don't know, I could visit the day Sonic and Amy became...different?"

The blood red gaze made Cream want to sink further and further into her chair. Shadow shook his head. "No."

"But, you see, I could uh, help you find the Emeralds and then, I don't know, I-"

"You? Help me?" Shadow couldn't help but chuckle. He looked her up and down, making Cream feel bad. She also was a little angry.

"Yes. I could help you. Or, maybe I could pay you? I just want to help."

"Let me get this straight? You're willing to leave your home, go with me to far-away planets, face potential danger, and maybe even not return, for Sonic and Amy?"

"Yes." Cream said, sitting up to her full height (Which wasn't much) and trying to appear tough. "I am."

Shadow laughed again, this time louder. "Honestly? Why?"

"Look," Cream began, "Just because you might not believe in helping others, I do. I would do anything to help my friends. That's more than I can say to you."

Shadow was taken aback by her boldness. He also felt a flash of admiration for her courage. Maybe he did underestimate her. "You do know something. I don't think you coming is a good idea. If you get hurt, It would be my fault. Everyone here would kill me!"

The teenage rabbit's eyes grew a little duller. "Not my mom."

"Cream," The hedgehog began, but the rabbit continued.

"She always goes off on trips with Vector, leaving me behind. I'm sick of staying here. I want some adventure every now and again. I am sick of sitting here waiting for nothing to happen!"

Shadow was silent for a moment, weighing his options. He mentally debated the pros and cons. Finally, after an eternity, he sighed. "If you do come, you would have to follow my every order."

A big grin lit up on Cream's face. She jumped up out of the chair. "Yes!"

Shadow held up a hand, "But, you can not go off on your own. You must stay with me at all times and obey every single command I tell you."

"I can do that!" Cream crossed the room and threw her arms around Shadow. "Thank you, thank you!"

Shadow frowned and gently pulled her off of him. "Another rule, I'm not a "touchy" kind of guy."

Cream blushed and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Sorry." She said sheepishly. The tea let out a loud whistle, signaling it was ready. Shadow pulled out two mugs and poured he and Cream some tea.

The two chatted for a while longer while Cream finished her tea. She glanced over at the clock and jumped up. "Oh, look how late it is! I have to open the shop tomorrow!" Cream couldn't help but take her mug to the sink and begin washing it.

Shadow walked over and took it from her hands. He shook his head. "I got it."

"Thanks." Cream realized she had a few more questions. "So, when are we leaving?"

"A week. Eggman has to finish locating the Emeralds. He's already found most of them."

"Where are they?" Cream asked eagerly.

"I have one. One is with G.U.N. They were hiding it out. It won't be too hard to retrieve. Eggman has two, which I'm not sure why he had them, but he wouldn't say. Another is on a planet about a day's journey from here."

"And the sixth?"

"A few weeks from that planet. The last one isn't far from there."

"That's not too bad."

"I'm guessing a month tops. Start packing. I'll update you on when we're leaving."

"This might seem like a dumb question, but how are we getting to the Emeralds?" Cream felt silly for asking, but she really wanted to know.

Shadow chuckled, "Well, I've been trying to contact some friends about borrowing their shuttle." The way he said it sounded suspicious, but Cream figured she'd better drop it. As long as she got those Emeralds and helped out Sonic and Amy.

"Well, I probably should be heading home." A loud boom of thunder sounded, and the house was lit up from a bolt of lightening. Shadow frowned and glared at Cream.

"I can't allow you to walk home in this weather." Shadow turned and vanished out of the room. He reappeared a few moments later with a glowing yellow jewel. "Ever travel by Emerald?"

Cream shrugged. "No."

"Just hold on."

~o0o~

"So, what's this about?" Amy spoke loudly. She and the rest of the girls were in Blaze's big SUV, crowded and driving somewhere. The cat wouldn't tell them. It was around 10:00 and the cat had called them up early that morning and informed them she had huge news.

"I'll tell you when we get there!" Blaze whistled cheerfully.

"How long will that be?" Rouge grumbled, pressed against a window. Cream was on her other side, squashed shoulder to shoulder. Amy sat up front, while Coz was safely cozy in her car seat.

"Right about...now!" Blaze pulled into a cute little restaurant, all of it screaming girlie. It was called Miss Tilly's Tea Room. The building was painted a cheery yellow with a pink roof.

"What's the special occasion?" Cream asked.

"I'll tell you when I'm ready!" The group of girls sat down and waited for their food. They chatted about life and catching up on their news.

"Yep, I'm pretty sure it's going to happen soon." Rouge boasted on her and Knuckle's relationship. "I've got him wrapped around my pinkie! He's smitten!" The ladies giggled at her own expression. Someone else looked pretty smitten too.

"I have an announcement." Cream fidgeted nervously with the bottom of her shirt. Everyone looked over at her. She cleared her throat and tried again.

"I'm leaving in a week. I'll be gone a whole month." Everyone gasped and began to question the poor rabbit. She tried to answer as best as she could, but she didn't want Amy to know what she was doing.

"I'm going on a trip. With Shadow. He needs to find something and he asked me to go along." Not exactly true, but vaguely close to the truth. Besides the part about him asking her.

"He asked you?" Rouge asked. It wasn't a rude intention, she just didn't know Shadow and Cream were friends.

Cream nodded. "Yeah, It-it was a surprise." It took a few minutes for the questions to die down, but then everyone was finally satisfied. Everyone but a certain Seedrian, but Cream was glad she had told everyone.

She didn't just want to up and leave all her friends, but it had to be done. It would only be a month, and then she could go back to her normal life.

"Excuse me, I've got to use the ladies room." Blaze excused herself and left the table. The rest of the group ordered themselves drinks. The cat returned moments later and sat down. It only took a few moments for someone to notice.

"WHAT IS THAT?" Amy shrieked, zeroing in on the ring on Blaze's finger. "OH MY GOSH!"

The others all turned, as did the entire restaurant. The pink hedgehog could get a little excited at times. Blaze blushed, smiling slightly as slowly, everyone else began to realize what was going on.

"Oh, Blaze!" Rouge looked a little jealous, but also happy for her friend.

"When did it happen?" Cream crooned, looking so joyful.

Blaze looked a little nervous from all the attention, like Cream had, but she explained what had happened with her and Silver's date, from the beginning to the end. Everyone listened intently, hanging onto her every word.

"-and I said yes, of course." She finished proudly, practically glowing. "But, that's not why I invited you all here. Well, besides to enjoy your company."

Amy immediately jumped in. "You need help planning the wedding? Oh, and your story is so romantic!"

Blaze nodded. "Yeah, I'm a little new to this whole thing and-"

"That's what friends are for, girl, we'll be with you every step of the way!" Amy promised. \

Blaze grinned, so happy to have such great friends. She didn't think she could get through this otherwise.

"I can cater." Cream volunteered. "Oh, can I bake your wedding cake? Please? Please? I've always wanted to try out this special design I've been sketching." She would be back from the trip in plenty of time to cater to the wedding!

"That would be incredibly awesome! I would love for you to make our wedding cake!" Blaze agreed gratefully. "I also want all of you to be my bridesmaids!"

Everyone squealed happily. And so, over the course of the meal, everything was figured out. Amy would assist with decorations. She would also be the maid of honor. It was only right since she and Blaze had been friends since forever.

Also, everyone insisted she make Amy maid of honor. Amy was trustworthy but also not afraid to give her opinion. She'd be perfect. Coz would be the flower girl. Sabre would be the ring bearer. Rouge would help Amy with decorations because it was such a huge job.

"There's so much to do!" Blaze sighed, looking flustered.

Amy was all business. "I can schedule a dress fitting in a few days. When is your wedding?"

Blaze hesitated. "Well, I wanted to follow the tradition of my parents, and they had a specific date they got married on. It was the day of the lunar eclipse. I wanted to honor them by getting married on that day too. I miss them a lot" Blaze's parents had died a while ago, but she still missed them dearly. Getting married on that day would help her feel closer to them.

"When is that?"

"It's in one and a half month."

"Forty five days?" If everyone thought organizing a wedding was going to be hard, doing it all in less than two months? Next to impossible. But, Amy was determined that her best friend was going to have her wedding on the day she wanted.

"We can do it." Amy spoke up. Everyone was looking at her in shock, but also understanding. They all loved Blaze and everyone understood how a wedding was the most special day of a girl's life. If Blaze wanted that date, they would do everything in their power to get it.

"Yeah, it won't be easy," Rouge warned, "but if we all work together, we can do it."

Blaze's eyes were welling up as she looked at her friends. "Thanks guys. You're the best!"

If only everything would go as planned.

**A little foreshadowing maybe? Dun. Dun. Dun. Ah, so both Cream and Blaze have made their announcements. Can everyone plan a wedding in 45 days? When you've got the right friends...maybe. And also, the lunar eclipse. Yeah...just added that because it's a "special" day for Blaze. Her parents died. Yep. So...what do you think? Please tell me!**

**R&r!**


	6. Sad, Ships, Stealing

**Yep, here's another update! Finally. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it! This one focuses on Amy and Cream friendship, and how Shadow is going to get a ship...heehee. **

**Well, let this be a warning to you guys. I was stupid and got pulled over today. Went 10 over...Most traumatic moment of my life. Thankfully, it was only a warning, but yeah...so embarrassing! Also, my friend may have been in the car with me. Let that be a lesson to you guys. Always obey traffic laws. **

**From, your thoroughly embarrassed author, **

**DuckShadow**

**R&r!**

"I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow!"

Yes, maybe Amy was being a little emotional, but she did have a pretty good reason to be. One of her best friends were leaving for a whole month! She was trying not to cry, but it was a little hard.

Cream patted Amy's back. "Don't worry, I'll be back!" She promised.

"Do you really have to go?"

"Yes." Cream said, eyes growing more determined. "This is something I HAVE to do."

Amy sighed, but knew any protests were useless. The little rabbit was quite determined, and nothing was going to change that. Anyways, hopefully all the wedding planning would keep her distracted.

There was a ton that needed to be done. Dresses, invites, food...wait, Cream was going to take care of that. Hopefully.

"What about the wedding?" Amy tried again, knowing she'd only be going in circles.

Cream smiled, "I'll be back with plenty of time to cook all the food. It'll be like two weeks. More than enough time to get it all ready."

The pink hedgehog was reassured, but she still didn't want Cream to leave. There were dangerous things out in the world. She hoped her friend would be OK.

The girls had already scheduled a date for Blaze's dress fitting, and some of the guys volunteered to help with the invites. It wasn't going to be a huge wedding, just Blaze's closest friends and family. Still, the invites needed to be perfect.

Rouge and Amy were going on Friday to pick out the flowers, with Blaze's chosen theme in mind. Yin and Yang. Hot and Cold. Blaze and Silver. Opposites working together. It was so romantic.

Which reminded her, she needed to set up a date for the bridesmaid's dresses. Oh, they also needed the perfect venue, and needed a professional weatherman to help accurately guess the weather. And-

"Amy!"

Amy snapped out of her thoughts and focused on Cream. "Sorry, I'm just going to miss you so much!"

"Ok, I'm going to miss you guys too!" Cream shook her head, "But I really need some help packing right now."

"Oh, yeah." Amy walked into Cream's closet and began to sort clothes she deemed 'appropriate.' "You're going to need warm clothes, who knows what the weather will be like. Pack a swimsuit, don't forget sunscreen."

Amy began to consult a list she had already created to help Cream make sure she had enough stuff to be prepared for anything. "Sandals, boots, warm socks, a blanket, a coat, something very nice, don't know who you'll need to impress, um, jeans, shorts, capris, tank tops."

The pink hedgehog was throwing stuff out of Cream's closet so fast that the poor rabbit was getting buried under a mountain of clothes. Her legs wobbled from carrying so much. She managed to maneuver the large pile onto her bed, where she carefully began to fold and pack the clothes.

Amy went and pulled out a much smaller bag for some other stuff. "Tons of toothpaste, toothbrushes, gotta pack extras in case one breaks or gets lost, a brush, tons of hair bands, hair ties, undies, bras, socks."

It hadn't even occurred to Cream how much stuff she really was going to need. Thank goodness for Amy. The hedgehog was on a mission, and wasn't going to rest until she was certain her young best friend was fully prepared.

It took two large bags to fit all of Cream's clothes, one smaller bag for her other supplies, pictures, and such, and another for her shoes. Cream could survive anywhere now. All thanks to Amy.

~o0o~

It was such a terrible idea to bring her.

Shadow knew saying yes to Cream would be bad. But, she was like his soft spot. One look from her huge brown eyes, and he was under her spell. Argh.

Also, it was her sheer determination that surprised him. She was so set on going, that even he found himself agreeing with her. She needed to go.

Both had their own agendas. Shadow's he would tell no one, but Cream, she was willing to go to the edge of the universe, and back, all for someone else. Wow. He admired her for that.

Shadow wasn't a bad guy. No, not at all. But, the truth was, he would usually do things for his own agenda. If it benefited him, he would do it. If it didn't, he wouldn't. He almost wished her were more like Cream, always putting someone else before herself.

Almost.

Right now, this was probably something he shouldn't be doing, but it was a huge benefit to him. Huge.

Shadow the Hedgehog was crouched on the edge of a cliff, not a very big one, but a cliff none the less, watching. Waiting.

Shadow was keeping a very close eye on three particular birds, waiting for just the right moment.

They had something he wanted.

A ship.

They were the Babylon Rouges, three idiotic birds who made their living by thieving. They were low life scum, and embraced that title.

Right now, though, they were in the possession of a ship that Shadow really needed to start his journey. Of course, he would've had a ship already, but Eggman had destroyed all of his spaceships when he turned over a 'new leaf' and retired.

Now, Shadow had to resort to this. He had two plans of course, and if Plan A didn't work, then he'd switch over to Plan B. He hoped it got to Plan B. Plan B involved fire.

"I don't see why I got roped into this."

Another creature came from behind, doing almost nothing to conceal himself. His loud whisper was like an echo in the hedgehog's ear, and he winced, praying the three targets didn't hear that. Thankfully, they were too busy gloating over the day's earnings to notice.

"Bokkun." Shadow hissed, whirling around to Eggman's messenger. "As much as I enjoy hearing your wailing voice, this is supposed to be stealth."

Bokkun narrowed his yellow eyes and crossed his arms. He let out a huff. "I don't even want to be here. Eggman _demanded_ I assist you."

Shadow had needed a backup, but he hadn't expected Eggman to send this to help. But, since the doctor had retired, the messenger hadn't really been needed. He was bored and wanted to do something. Clearly Egghead thought it was a good idea to send the oaf to assist in the securing of the ship.

The backup was for Plan B. It was a pretty simple task, and wouldn't require much. Only the skills to light a match.

Shadow knew working with Eggman was a bad idea, but he also was partially grateful for the help. He couldn't perform the second plan alone, and it might be useful to have someone to get his back. Even if it was the oaf Bokkun.

Plan A was to ask nicely.

If that didn't work, Bokkun would set off a bomb, and while they were distracted, Shadow would grab the ship and go, maybe taking the talking headache with him. It might end badly, but the ebony hedgehog was itching for a fight.

He hoped it ended badly.

Shadow hopped up and began to pad down the hill, approaching the trio of birds. "Wait for my signal." He hissed quickly at the messenger before coming into view.

"Hello." He greeted, trying to keep his voice calm and cordial. The birds stopped talking, eying the fourth creature warily.

"Shadow?" Jet, the leader of the group, recognized the infamous hedgehog immediately. "What brings you here?"

Wave was beginning to creep backwards, slowly towards a small shed not far from where they were. She was trying to be discrete, but the red eyes took in everything. He really hoped she tried to draw a weapon.

Storm inched closer to Shadow, crossing his arms, trying to appear threatening. The fat albatross wasn't doing very well.

"You see, I am seeking something." The hedgehog continued, keeping his face blank. If the Rouges knew how much he wanted the ship, his chances of getting it easily would instantly go down the drain.

"Yeah?" Jet leaned back lazily, stance casual but eyes alert. "What? Must be pretty important if you seek it from me."

Shadow scoffed. "Well, I do need it, but I have other means of acquiring one. I merely thought to check with you guys first, to see if I could get it cheaper."

The greedy gleam in Jet's eyes was enough to give his thoughts away. Jet wanted Shadow to take whatever he needed, and give him cash in return. The group loved nothing more than money. They wanted Shadow to buy their stuff.

"And what would that be?"

"A ship. And I see you have one. It's a little small, but it might suit my needs." Shadow's eyes glinted dangerously. Jet had to swallow lump in his throat. The creature he was dealing with was dangerous.

Then again, it was three against one. Even the great hedgehog couldn't beat those odds. That put a new found confidence in the green hawk. He sneered at the hog. "Yeah right. You need this. A lot. I can tell. I'm not too sure I'm willing to part with this anyways."

Shadow gave Jet a cold, chilling smile, devoid of any warmth. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Shadow skidded back a few feet, throwing a small burst in the air. It was a trick he'd picked up over the years, he had enough Chaos Energy inside of him that he didn't even need an Emerald for it. He could summon it and send out a small spark.

Not much, but enough to shock someone. Or send a signal.

Right on cue, a bomb went off from the far end of the junkyard. All three birds turned to assess the damage. Jet let out a shriek of fury and launched himself at Shadow. "Check the noise, you idiots!" He yelled mid-leap.

Wave and Storm took off running towards the area of the bomb. Shadow hoped Bokkun had enough sense to clear the area.

Jet crashed into Shadow, knocking the hedgehog to the ground. That was all part of the plan. Shadow let him land a few punches, all the while searching for the key. If he was correct, the hawk wouldn't want to risk getting his precious ship stolen, and would carry the key on his belt.

Bingo.

The keys were in a wide band around his belt. There must have been close to thirty metal keys. The question was, which one was it?

Shadow slipped the key loop into his pocket and then decided to take out the threat.

With a few well aimed blows, the dark hedgehog managed to take down the hawk and easily tied him up. Shadow handcuffed the hawk to a metal car bumper and gagged him for an extra precaution.

Time to take care of the other two knuckleheads. Huh, should've asked Knuckles to help him. The angry red echidna would be a valuable brainless ally with some muscle to throw around.

Within a few more minutes, the rest of the Babylon Rouges suffered similar fates. The trio were very angrily handcuffed to other bumpers. They were pretty pissed.

"You idiot!" Jet hissed, spittle flying off his mouth in waves. "You will regret this!"

"Maybe, but I really need this." Shadow calmly patted the green hawk and walked up to the ship. Bokkun trailed nervously, looking around as if the birds could break free at any moment.

After a few tries, Shadow found the right key. He stepped inside, pulling his 'assistant' behind him. With a cheeky wave, Bokkun closed the door.

~o0o~

Up on the same hill the hedgehog had been on not an hour earlier, two figures watched as the ship lifted in the air and took off.

The two figures exchanged a look, the first smirking hugely.

"We can use this to our advantage."

The second glanced over at his companion, amusement dancing across his features. "Foolish hedgehog."

**Dun, dun, dun! Who are those two people?! Will you ever find that out? Yes. That answer is yes. But, not for a while though!**

**R&r!**


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